15.
Destiny 2
(Image credit: Bungie)
Bungie’s co-op shooter had a rough start to life, but gradually redeemed itself in 2019
through a string of solid expansions, including Shadowkeep. More than just an endless
loot quest, much of Destiny 2’s brilliance comes from the simple art of shooting things: it
makes every headshot feel special, and the sci-fi enemy designs see sparks and
colours shower your screen.
It’s a great pad shooter, but playing with a mouse and keyboard really lets you feel the
weapons at work, and control your shots better. And if you’ve never played before then
now is the best time to start, because last year it launched as a free-to-play game on
Steam. You won’t get the most recent expansions, but you’ll still squeeze hundreds of
hours out of the base game, its early expansions, and the addictive PvP. You can even
transfer your saves over from console.
Play it now:
Bungie
Steam
14. Outer Wilds
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(Image credit: Mobius Digital)
A joyful, playful space story about a character that dies every 22 minutes. During
each life, you explore its wonderfully folksy sci-fi world and watch it change, entire
planets splitting apart before your eyes. You try your best to learn something new,
and then you close your eyes and you’re back at the start, the world reset, leaving
you 22 more minutes to try and figure out what the hell is going on.
It’s the perfect window to dive into its intertwining stories. The world is small
enough that your makeshift spaceship can reach any planet in a few minutes, giving
you plenty of time to delve into ruins and talk to memorable NPCs. But it’s never
long enough for you to uncover the whole truth, leaving you with plot threads to
pick up in your next life. Slowly, you’ll start to tie these threads together, and the
world only becomes more fascinating with every new expedition. Best of all, the
conclusion is absolutely worth sticking around for.
Play it now:
Epic Games Store
Microsoft Store
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13. The Sims 4
(Image credit: EA Games)
The best life sim on PC never stops improving. The DLC is pricey, but always adds
something new to the life of your Sims, such as magic spells, a tropical island world
or a themed furniture set for your grumpy teenager’s bedroom. We never tire of
the way it can generate dynamic storylines – family dramas, love triangles or
personal struggles, and those tales keep us coming back, year after year, expansion
after expansion. It’s more than five years old but, with EA showing no signs of
slowing down new content, it’s still got plenty of life in it yet.
Play it now:
Origin
Steam
12. Subnautica
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Subnautica’s premise reminds us of any number of survival games: it drops you
into a foreign, inhospitable land, points off into the distance, and says, “Go build
stuff”. But Subnautica is far from average. Its wilderness is entirely underwater,
which changes the structure, pace, and tone of your adventure, and creates a
palpable sense of dread as you descend further and further into the depths in
search of materials (was that a tentacle that just flicked through your peripheral
vision?).
Your goal is to expand your base and escape the planet, and in that sense
Subnautica provides the kind of clear structure that other survival games neglect. It
has a proper story and satisfying ending, and that narrative pulls you through your
journey, always giving you a concrete goal. On top of all that, it’s just an incredibly
well-made, and whether you’re mining, crafting or exploring, it’s a joy to interact
with.
Play it now:
Steam
11. XCOM 2
(Image credit: Firaxis Games)
XCOM 2 is a slick, turn-based strategy game that doesn’t care about your feelings.
As you battle an alien invasion you’ll grow attached to your squad, upgrading them,
customising their gear and building personalities for them in their head. Then, one
wrong move and you’ll watch them get their face torn off by a towering, faceless,
pink mutant, and there will be nothing you can do about it. It’s agonising.
That loss is part of XCOM 2. Without it, the wins wouldn’t feel so good, and you
wouldn’t spend so long deciding which piece of cover to sprint to next. The simple
controls and intuitive UI make it easy to pick up, and once you get in the flow of a
battle you’ll be barking out orders quickly, watching your soldiers pop in and out of
cover. You’ll find the odd glitch, and it can be frustrating when your squad misses
easy shots, but there’s still no better game for testing your tactical nous.
Play it now:
Steam
Humble Store
